Caine's Cardboard Challenge

WHY?

Why is Joy doing the Cardboard Challenge again this year? She teaches ELA. What do cardboard creations have to do with ELA??!!

I never heard the words, but I imagined them. Was I feeling guilty for not teaching reading or writing this day? Maybe. Guilt is ingrained in me. It didn't matter if I didn't hear the words coming out of teachers' mouths. What I did NOT hear --> support for this endeavor from coworkers after I sent out the all-staff email inviting them and their students to come for a visit (I even sent them "fun passes"). What I did NOT see --> coworkers coming down to visit and play with us. That speaks volumes to me.

So I'm laying it on the line here. If you don't agree with me - that's fine. I'm not writing for your approval.  I'm writing to reflect on the day and why I spend one class from my students' year asking them to design cardboard creations. Really, what is eighty minutes in the scheme of things?

What I noticed:
     - Eleven students (17%) had prepared and finished their project at home, and were ready to play today!
     - Students worked hard for 80 minutes - without any grade incentive.
     - The library was alive with noise and action.
     - Nobody was sitting down (unless it was on the floor to plan or create).
     - There was constant movement.
     - There were no arguments.
     - Students learned to use what they have in the time allotted, & change as necessary.
     - Students shared space & loaned or shared supplies.
     - They suffered natural consequences when they were not prepared.
     - Discussions about engineering & design were abundant.
     - Students were able to bounce around from one activity to another.
     - A very lively atmosphere, with smiles, laughter, shouts of excitement...
     - I was going to make a list of "What I heard," but it got too long for this blog post!

The genius "habitudes" students experienced today:
     - Imagination - Need I explain?
     - Curiosity - What is everyone else doing? How did they DO that? How can I change my own?
     - Self Awareness - Students KNEW what skills they had and what they didn't, and called on friends for help.
     - Perseverance - oh, so much trial and error! So much failing happening today!
     - Courage to display their work - completed or not.
     - Passion - Oh, the exclamations shouted today! They were INTO their creations!
     - Adaptability - When one thing wouldn't work, they readily changed the process.

We talk about these habitudes weekly during Genius Hour (thank you, Angela Maiers!), and throughout the week when I commend students for demonstrating these habitudes during guided lessons.

This ties right in with lessons I'm trying to teach this year regarding the Four Cs of 21st Century Learning:  creativity, innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, communication & collaboration. Do we not need these to thrive in life? Do we not need these when we attack a complex text or a challenging writing prompt? Will students not need these skills when they are figuring out their genius hour project for fourth quarter? Today's lessons will help us make those connections.

What I learned:
     - Seventh graders are C-R-E-A-T-I-V-E! Was I ever that creative??
     - Next year, the sign I make for the outside should say, "Come in and design, create, and PLAY," because students did a lot more planning and creating than they did actually playing.
     - Because sixteen students (24% = way too many!!) were not prepared, I'll need to have some activities I choose for them to do. These students did not bring ANY materials. I felt as if they'd been sleeping under a ROCK. I'll also prepare them better - instead of asking them to write the "homework" of bringing materials to class, I'm going to give them colorful reminder slips, with a checklist on it for them to bring WITH their materials. Is this spoon-feeding? Maybe. But 24% is just too many for me. Those 16 students didn't learn all that the rest of the students did. They didn't just sit around doing nothing, but they didn't all create, either. Seven of these (still 10.5%) wandered around, playing other people's games, and then chatting until I chased them off to do something else... Suggestions?
     - Gosh darn it - at what other time in the school year is learning so ultimately open and FREE in seventh grade? At what other time in your plans do you give students the direction, "Create," and then step back entirely? I don't think they're given this direction at home, and there are many distractions from this type of learning - their afternoons and weekends are already planned for them, and if they're not, how many of them revert to the old standby of television or video games?
     - Sometimes I feel like I'm on the "lunatic fringe" at my school (thanks for the great phrase, Karl!). But you know what?! I'm not at school to please (or appease) other teachers. I teach because of children.  Lessons learned today, whether consciously or unconsciously, will help these children with the rest of our lessons throughout the year - in any teacher's class.

Here is a 15 minute glimpse into our day of learning...

After reading all this, are you going to tell me you don't know what the Cardboard Challenge is? I didn't provide background, but take eleven minutes to learn about Caine Monroy if you haven't yet...

Many thanks to the two teachers and three administrators who showed their support, and to Mr. Todd Hillmer for letting us make a mess in the LMC! The students noticed it, and we had room to breathe, share and flex our creative muscles...

This is why...

Today I had one of those days... one of those "THIS is why I teach!" days.

Today was our first full Genius Hour day of fourth quarter. Students are expected to step it up a notch, and have a product at the end of this quarter, along with giving a five-minute presentation to their classmates, other classes, staff members, and parents that can make it. Projects include baking, creating simple machines, teaching lessons, learning an instrument, and many more. The fun in this is that many of these projects I would never have thought of doing myself! These kids give me my gray hairs, but they also keep me young, that's for sure!

I was able to speak one on one with most of my students today. What a great use of our time. Two students, however, stood out.

Nicholas... His original question was, "What makes us human?"
I'd discovered a video online over the weekend that I thought he might be able to use (about a family in a remote country who walks on all fours), and I talked to him after he'd seen the first few minutes of it. He stopped me, and said, "I don't know if I can use this, as my project has changed a bit already." Curious, of course, I asked him how. (Words are approximate, here, as I was not recording him.) "You know what I'm learning? I'm learning that we are surviving here, but it's more than that. I'm learning that we are really living it up. I mean, think about it - we don't have to build shelter anymore; we already have houses. We don't have to hunt and gather our food; we have grocery stores or restaurants, and we can eat whatever we want! We don't have to mine for metals; someone has already done that for us, and others are doing it now." He went on, but I was so flabbergasted that I can't remember all he said. I know how he ended it, however. "My hope is that when people are done listening to my presentation, they will feel lucky about all they have and all they can do."



Priceless.



Ethan... Ethan wants to perform random acts of kindness.
Yes. He wants to send out a survey asking if you've ever experienced someone performing a random act of kindness for you, what it was, how it made you feel, and if it made you want to "pay it forward." He will collect this data and share it in his presentation. He also wants to perform random acts of kindness, and then ask those people how they felt, or why they declined (if they did so). In his proposal, he wrote, "This project would be worthwhile because it would help people and give me experience helping people which could help me later in life." I don't know all the logistics, or how he'll be doing this, but the whole idea... Oh, it makes me smile! My hope is that some day he'll do these so much he won't even recognize them as random acts of kindness - I believe it could easily be instilled in him as "this is just the way to behave."

Seventh grade. In seventh grade, these students have come up with so many amazing ideas. I love the fact that they change them, too, if they don't think they're "good enough." I have high hopes for this quarter and the projects they'll be completing of their own choosing. Trust your students, and let them know you trust them. See what they decide is worthy of learning.